Oil burner starting and control mechanism



A. A. AvAMPA-ro 2,291,441

July 28, 1942.

OIL BURNER STARTING AND CONTROL MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 16, 1941 ATTORNEY July 28, 1942. A. A. AvAMPATo OIL BURNER STARTING AND CONTROL MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 16, 1941 INVENTOR An tmmyA. A'zrampaw.

ATTORNEY Patented July 28, 1942 OFFICE OIL BURNER STARTING AND CONTROL MECHANISM Anthony A. Avampato, Torrington, Conn. Application April 16, 1941, Serial No. 388,915

Claims.

This invention relates to oil burners and more particularly to an improved starting and control mechanism therefor.

One object is to provide an oil burner starting and control mechanism of the above nature having means to preheat the oil in the burner for a predetermined length of time and having automatically operated means to subsequently ignite the vapors from the preheated oil.

Another object is to trol apparatus of the above nature having manually-set means to control the relative periods of operation of the preheating means and vapor ignition means.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the above nature which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple in construction, compact, and very eiiicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, there has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side View partly diagrammatic, of an oil burner and control apparatus therefor embodying the features and principles of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top View of the oil ow control valve.

Fig. 3 is a top View of the time-controlled preheating and ignition control means.

Fig. 4 is a diagram of the electrical circuit layout and the control timing means.

Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the control units.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views the numeral IIJ indicates a range type oil burner including in its structure four concentric perforated shells I 2, I3y and I4 which are seated on a base plate I5. The base plate I5 is provided with a pair of interconnected concentric oil receiving channels I5 and |1 which are fed by a supply pipe I8 connected to a flexible pipe I 9 leading to a manually actuated oil control valve 2li, which in turn is connected to an adjustable and automatically controlled oil valve 2| by a pipe 22. The valve 2| is in turn connected to an elevated oil supply container 23 by a pipe 24.

The base plate I5 is seated upon a sub-base plate 25 having cored-out openings 25 enclosing a coil of resistance heating wire 21, the latter serving to heat the sub-base plate 25 and the provide an oil burner conbase plate I5 to brmg the oil in the channels I6 55 and |1 up to a vaporizing temperature. plug 28 passes through the burner shell has an air gap 29 across which electric may be continuously passed to ignite the pors arising from the heated oil below it.

The automatically controlled oil valve 2| is adapted to be manually set by a knob 3D of a dial 3|, and is subject to the thermostat control of a fluid pressure bulb 32 disposed over the top of the burner I0. The bulb 32 is connected by a flexible tube 33 to suitable means within the valve 2| for controlling the flo-w of oil in inverse proportion to the heat developed by the burner I0, i. e., an increase in pressure due to excessive heat from the burner will cause a reduction of the oil fed into the pipe 22 and thence to the burner I0, and vice versa.

An electric cable of two conductors 34 and 35 connects the heating coil 21 with a line connecting plug 36 and a switch control contact 31 respectively. A similar cable of two conductors 38 and 39 connects the spark plug gap 29 with the ends of a secondary coil 40 of a transformer 4|. The primary coil 42 of the transformer 4| is connected by suitable conductors 43 and 44 with the line connecting plug 36 and a control contact 45 which is shorter than said contact 31 (see Fig. 4)

The switch contacts 31 and 45 are arcuate in shape and are rigidly mounted on stationary supports 46 and 41 respectively, which are disposed in a preheating and ignition control box 48 supported on a pedestal 49 disposed adjacent the stove frame 5U, in which the burner IU is located.

A dial 5| is provide-d on the outer surface of one end of the ignition control box 48 and has an indicating pointer 52 associated therewith. The pointer 52 is secured on the outer end of a common shaft 53 which extends through the box 48, and is adapted to be driven by a spring 54 of a timer mechanism of the usual release action type whereby the spring 54 is wound up when the pointer 52 is rotated, and during the reverse rotation the pointer is adapted to indicate the lapse of predetermined time periods. Thus, if

I4 and sparks oil Vathe pointer 52 is manually rotated to the point s on the dail reading l5 utes of reverse rotation to again reach zero on lines in Fig. 4).

A movable switch Contact linger 55 is secured on the shaft 53 within the box 48 in position to ride over the arcuate contact 31, and a similar contact linger 55 is secured on said shaft 53 in it will take fifteen minof the pointer 52 for it the dial 5| (see dotted A spark position to ride over the arcuate contact 45. Both of the contacts 31 and l5 are connected by a conductor 51 to the plug 35.

As herein illustrated, the arcuate contact 3l, connected to the heating coil 21, is of suiiicient length to be engaged by the movable finger 55 for a time period of fteen minutes, while the length of the contact 45 is of sufficient length to be engaged by the finger 5S for a time period of five minutes. Moreover, the contacts are so disposed in relation to each other as herein illustrated that the contact 31 will be engaged by the finger 55 ve minutes before the finger 55 contacts the contact 45 and wil1 remain in oontact with the finger 55 for five minutes after the finger 55 has moved out of contact with the contact 45. By means of this arrangement, the oil in the burner will be preheated for a prede-.- termined period before the ignition spark is turned on-the lengths of the respective pre-V heating and sparking periods being readily adjustable as desired.

In order to prevent the contact iinger 55 from engaging the contact 45 during the setting of the pointer 52 in respect to the dial, i desired, means is provided to lift the nnger 55, during its forward travel, while being moved into set position. This means comprises an arcuate inclinedinsulating bar 58 concentric with the contact 45. rIhe end 55 of the bar 58 is adapted to be engaged by the end 6i) of the finger 55 to raise said finger out of engagement withthe contact 45. The other end 6l of the bar 58 eX- tends beyond the contact 45 and permits the nnger 56 to drop onto the insulating support 41 beyond said contact 45. When the reverse rotation ofthe ringer 55 takes place the end 65 of the finger 55 rides under the bar end 6l and engages the contact 45 to close the circuit through the primary coil of the transformer 4i land causes sparks to pass across the air gapfZB of the spark plug continuously.

Operation In operation, the burner Iii may be started by first opening the manually controlled valve 2i] by the proper manipulation of its hand wheel 62. Oil will thereby be lpermitted to now by gravity from the supply container 23 through the pipe 24, the control valve 2l, the pipe 22, valve 25, pipe I9, and connection I3 into the oil burner channels I5 and I1. The pointer 52 of the preheater and ignition contact unit @3 will then be rotated clockwise, to the point 15 on the dial 5| (as indicated by dotted lines in Fig, Ll), the engagement of the Contact finger 55 with the arcuate Contact 31 closing the circuit through the oil preheating coil 21. After a preheating period of iive minutes, the contact inger 56 will engage the stationary arcuate coi-1 tact 45 to energize the transformer il and cause continuous sparking at the gap 29 to ignite the vapor from the preheated oil and start the oil burner. The heating current passing through the resistance coil 21 will be automatically shut ofi as soon as the timer pointer reaches the zero point, at which time the finger 55 will leave the arcuate contact 31. The burner will then continue to operate under'the control of the thermostatically-actuated valve 2 I.

One advantage of the present invention is that the timer pointer 52 may be set at any desired point on the dial 5l depending upon the predetermined requirements. Moreover, the length of the arcuate contacts 31 and 45 may be varied to provide for shorter or longer preheating and sparking periods. The relative positions of the contacts 31 and 45 may also be varied with the spirit and scope of the invention.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent is:

1. In a range-type oil burner, an oil-vapor enclosing shell, an oil channel therebeneath, means to preheat oil in said oil channel to vaporize it, a spark plug extending into said shell, and timed manually-set means to energize said preheating means and said spark plug to ignite oil vapor formed by the action of said preheating means, in a predetermined sequence.

2. In a range-type oil burner, an oil containing base, an oil vapor enclosing shell resting on said 1case, means to preheat oil in said base, a spark plug in said shell, means to control the period of preheating, and timed manually-set means to energize said spark -plug aiter a predetermined period of operation of said preheating means.

3. In a range-type oil burner, a base centaining an oil chamber, a shell supported by said base, means to preheat oil in said spark plug in said shell, Ymeans to energize said spark plug, and timed manually-set means to control the times oi starting, `and periodsof operation of said preheating meansQand said spark plug.

4. In a range-type oil burner, a base provided with an oil channel, a shell located above said base, means topreheat oil in said channel to vaporize it, a spark plug in said shell, means to cause continuous sparking ci said spark plug,

. and manually adjustable settable means to control the times lof starting and termination of said preheating means, and said spark plug.

5. In a range-type o-il burner, a base having an oil channel, a shell above said base, meansto preheat oil in said channel to vaporize it, a spark Y plug in said shell, said oil preheating means comprising an electrical resistance coil unit, a transformer for continuously energizing said spark plug, and manually-set adjustable means to control the relative periods of loperation of said preheating means and said spark plug.

6. In a range-type oil burner, a base having an oil channel, a shell located above said base, electrical means to preheat oil in said channel lto vaporize it, a spark plug in said shell, a trans,-

former for energizing said spark plug, manuallyset adjustable means to control the relative peri. ods of operation of said preheating means and said spark plug.

7. In a range-type o il burner, an oil containing base, an oil vapor enclosing shell resting on said base, means to preheat oil in said base, a spark plug in said shell, means to control the period of preheating,v and manually-set adjustable timed means to continuously energize said spark plug after a predetermined period of operation of said preheating means. Y

8. In a range-type oil burner, a base having an oil channel, a shell located abcve said base,

electrical means to preheatthe oil in said chan-` nel, a spark plug in said shell to ignite the Vaporized oil therein, and manually-set adjustable timer means to control the relative periods of operation of said preheating means and said spark plug comprising an electric circuit including said preheating means, an electric circuit including a transformer for energizing said spark plug, said timer means having a common control shaft to which a pair of movable contacts are connected, said movable contacts engaging a pair of arcuate contacts of different lengths located in said preheating and spark plug circuits, respectively.

9. In an oil burner, a base having an oil channel, a shell located above said base, electrical means to preheat the oil in said channel, a spark plug in said shell to ignite the vaporized oil therein, a timer means to control the relative periods of operation of said preheating means and said spark plug comprising an electric circuit including said preheating means, an electric circuit including a transformer for energizing said spark plug, said timer means having a common control shaft to which a pair of movable contacts are connected, said movable contacts engaging a pair of arcuate contacts of different lengths located in said preheating and spark circuits, respectively, and means to prevent said spark plug circuit contacts from engaging each other when said timer shaft is moved to set position.

1-0. In a range-type oil burner, an oil containing base, an oil vapor enclosing shell resting on said base, means to preheat oil in said base, a spark -plug in said shell, manually-set means to control the period of preheating, and manuallyset timed means to continuously energize said spark plug after a predetermined period of operation of said preheating means.

ANTHONY A. AVAMPATO. 

